Gemencheh Bridge during Battle of Malaya

During the Battle of Malaya

Battle of Malaya

The Malayan Campaign was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 31 January 1942 during the Second World War. The campaign was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army...

 in the Second World War, Gemencheh Bridge near Gemas was the site of a fierce battle between the Imperial Japanese Army

Imperial Japanese Army

-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...

 and the 2/30 Battalion, 8 Division, Australian Imperial Force

Australian Imperial Force

The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...

 (AIF). Commanding Officer of the Battalion was Lieutenant Colonel "Black Jack" Galleghan. Gemencheh Bridge was a bridge over the Sungei Gemencheh that connected Gemas with the larger neighboring town of Tampin

Tampin

Tampin　 is both a town and a district in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, however part of the town spills over into the neighbouring state of Malacca, as it is located along the Malacca-Negeri Sembilan border...

. The Japanese had passed through Tampin and needed to cross the bridge to reach Gemas.

On 14 January 1942, "B" Company of the 2/30th Battalion, launched an ambush against the Japanese in the hope of preventing them from advancing further south. As the advancing Japanese soldiers passed by the ambush site, the bridge was blown. The battle following the ambush, and a further battle closer to Gemas, lasted two days. It ended with the Australian withdrawal through Gemas to Fort Rose Estate.

Four days later, another encounter between Japanese and Allied soldiers took place near Parit Sulong

Parit Sulong

Parit Sulong　is a small town in Johor, Malaysia on the Simpang Kiri River, 30 km east of Muar. The historical Parit Sulong Bridge constructed during World War II is a main feature in that town....

 during the Battle of Malaya. Allied troops, including the Australian 2/19th and 2/29th Battalions, were surrounded and routed there.

A memorial remembering fallen Australians now stands somewhere near the site of the destroyed Gemencheh Bridge in Federal route 1

Malaysia Federal Route 1

Federal Route 1 is the first federal road in Malaysia, and among the oldest federal roads in Malaysia, having been constructed by the British government during colonial times...

.

See also

• Parit Sulong
  Parit Sulong
  Parit Sulong　is a small town in Johor, Malaysia on the Simpang Kiri River, 30 km east of Muar. The historical Parit Sulong Bridge constructed during World War II is a main feature in that town....
  
  , Johor
  Johor
  Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...